Ever since Honkai Impact 3rd launched, players have known that the main story revolves around "Honkai." Humanity's ultimate goal is to defeat it.
But throughout the earlier chapters, the so-called strongest weapons of the Honkai—the Herrschers—didn't seem all that terrifying. With an S-rank Valkyrie plus the backing of Schicksal and World Serpent's technology, they could be slain.
So for a long time, players kept their focus on Kiana and the other Valkyries. Honkai… didn't seem so scary.
Now, after experiencing the atmosphere of despair in the Previous Era, they finally realized—Honkai is absolutely not so simple.
Immortal Fu Hua? Strong, right? The moment she woke up, she defeated Durandal, Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, and inflicted massive losses.
Kevin—say no more. Even Otto grew uneasy at the mere sight of him. These were beings who could go toe-to-toe against Schicksal itself.
And yet, even such powerful people in the Previous Era ended up so hopeless…
Only now did players truly understand the terror of Honkai.
The livestream chat exploded in debate.
Meanwhile, Kiana and Elysia were completely absorbed in the story, pushing forward through the game's cutscenes.
But after that glimpse of the Previous Era, Fu Hua's remaining memories held no more of its secrets. Instead, the scene shifted to five hundred years ago—to her days as an immortal atop Mount Taixu.
For the moment, players set aside the shock of the Previous Era.
"Next… it should be the Seven Disciples Betrayal arc, right?"
Kiana watched on, anticipation rising.
But the fragments shown only gave a rough sketch of Fu Hua's life back then. After the death of Dan Zhu and Cang Xuan, Fu Hua gradually became a cold, detached "immortal," slaying demons without mercy.
And in this storyline, audiences suddenly discovered—Lin Chaoyu was actually one of Fu Hua's seven disciples from five hundred years ago!
At that, countless question marks popped up in everyone's minds.
How could someone from five centuries ago still be alive today?
In-game, Kiana and Bronya noticed too.
"Lin Chaoyu… She was the squad leader's disciple?!"
After finishing a feather memory, both Kiana and Bronya were stunned.
"Kiana, that's not the point. The real question is… why is someone from five hundred years ago appearing in the modern Mount Taixu?"
Kiana frowned, thinking hard. "…I think I'm starting to get it."
"Ever since we came here, everything's been off. This place doesn't look like the one squad leader showed me, and the Honkai energy density is way too high."
"And Lin Chaoyu—she lived in ancient times, yet she just happens to be here, meeting us by chance, guiding us to this so-called 'Heart Seal'…"
Bronya tilted her head. "…We've been tricked."
Just then, a flash of white light. Before leaving, Lin Chaoyu left behind a feather.
"Let's dive in again. The truth has to be inside."
Kiana and Bronya re-entered the memory and glimpsed Mount Taixu five centuries past. They even saw Fu Hua's other six disciples—though the game only represented them as feathers, hiding their true appearances.
At that, players cursed under their breath. Damn, miHoYo really knew how to keep things hidden.
But what came next drove them even crazier.
The disciples' cryptic conversations were nothing but riddles. No scene of disciples slaying their master, no explanation of motives—just confusing dialogue. Then, Kiana and Bronya opened the final door.
A flash of crimson light.
Inside—nothing.
And then… the lively voice of the Herrscher of Sentience rang out.
"Ay~ took you long enough. I was getting impatient."
The camera zoomed out. A colossal "Fu Hua" loomed overhead, smiling playfully at the tiny Kiana and Bronya in her palm—just like her ultimate move in the PV.
Before her, they looked utterly insignificant.
[Damn! miHoYo the riddle master again!!]
[So much revealed, yet nothing at all…]
[The hype is killing me…]
Without delay, Kiana clicked into Chapter 21.
[Wings of Rebirth]
The opening cutscene, however, switched to Schicksal's perspective.
Elysia pouted in disappointment. "Really, Boss Mo Li… you got the girl all curious, and then just left her hanging〃~"
Kiana clenched her fist in agreement. "Exactly! Too cruel."
Still, grumbling aside, she pressed on.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Level-2 combat prep!"
"Target: Sector B3. Initiate Emergency Protocol No. 12!"
The screen showed Schicksal's airbase, ablaze with chaos. Countless Immortal Blades Valkyries rushed toward B3.
Yet, standing in their path was a gorgeously dressed woman whom none of them seemed to notice.
The audience recognized her instantly.
Fu Hua.
No—more precisely, the Herrscher of Sentience.
The scene now clearly connected back to Chapter 20's opening, when Fu Hua beat Otto to a pulp.
At that point, everyone forgot about the Seven Disciples entirely. After all, what could be more satisfying than watching Otto get wrecked?
In the game, Fu Hua held a feather, smiling faintly as Valkyries passed her by.
"This thing's so handy~"
Narration explained: by using Yuduchen, she'd made herself semi-invisible, hence why no one noticed her.
"I even left this with Otto once… can't believe I did that." Her tone was unusually lively, a total contrast to her former self.
The audience noticed something else—despite being a Herrscher, she wasn't slaughtering humans or dripping with malice.
A thought stirred in players' hearts. Could it be… Fu Hua was reborn, but not overtaken by Herrscher consciousness?
Not just the audience—Kiana and Elysia, too, felt the same hope.
Excitement bubbling, Kiana pushed the plot forward.
The game prompted: [Seek your memories]
When Kiana clicked, narration revealed: the player now voiced the "inner persona" inside Fu Hua's mind.
Fu Hua's voice responded dismissively:
"Forget it. Too many memories. Tiny details like these can wait. When I've got time, I'll slowly digest fifty thousand years' worth."
She laughed lightly, gazing at the blazing Schicksal airbase—her handiwork.
The inner voice asked: [You're not satisfied?]
"Hmm? Not at all. As far as battle results go, this is already glorious~" The Herrscher of Sentience smiled proudly.
"If it weren't for Schicksal and Otto, none of this would've gotten so bad. The world would've been more peaceful~"
"Shame about those Valkyries though. In the end, they were just Otto's pawns…"
[Casualties weren't light.]
"...I held back! I only destroyed the cages, a few buildings, and… tsk, fine, maybe I didn't hold back perfectly!"
"Who can think of every single detail? Who? Could Dr. Mei have done better?"
Her voice grew almost flustered. "…Even she sacrificed plenty of people. For victory, for justice, sacrifices are inevitable."
Then she sighed. "Forget it… why am I arguing with myself. Time to leave this base."
At that, many viewers chuckled. This Herrscher Fu Hua… was actually kind of cute.
Then they noticed—the game didn't label her as "Fu Hua." Instead, it showed [Hua (?)].
Combine that with the PV, which had already revealed the truth—Herrscher of Sentience.
Players realized: this really was the Herrscher persona, not the original Fu Hua.
But… if that were true, why did she still pity the Valkyries?
"I've got it!"
Kiana suddenly exclaimed.
"This Fu Hua is the Herrscher persona—but she's been influenced by the squad leader's fifty-thousand-year memories, so she mistakenly believes she IS Fu Hua!"
The audience and Elysia were stunned—but the more they thought, the more sense it made.
The PV already said she was the Herrscher. Yet in the story, she thinks she's Fu Hua—ranting about beating Otto, seeking revenge, boasting proudly.
That was the opposite of Fu Hua's modest "not perfect enough" attitude. No way a humble person would just flip into an arrogant pufferfish!
The only explanation: the Herrscher was influenced by Fu Hua's massive memories.
Chat exploded with agreement.
Meanwhile, Kiana, excited, pressed on.
[Where do you plan to go?]
Hua (?): "Haven't decided yet. The world's big, I can go anywhere—but nowhere I particularly want to."
"Maybe I'll visit some old friends. If they find out I'm still alive, they'll be shocked."
She smiled softly. "The Honkai isn't gone yet. Peaceful days won't last."
"For now… I'll just take it one step at a time~"
The chat burst out laughing.
[Well damn, another double-agent Herrscher appears]
['The Honkai isn't destroyed yet']
[Herrscher of Sentience: I am Fu Hua, I will destroy Honkai!]
[Honkai God: ???]
[LMAO she's adorable]
[Feels kinda like old-school Kiana hahaha]
Elysia covered her mouth, giggling. "Hahaha… So this is the Herrscher of Sentience? She's so cute~ I think I like her already."
Kiana chuckled too. "Fake squad leader's such dummies, haha…"
Fu Hua: "…"
In-game, the Herrscher of Sentience strolled leisurely, still semi-invisible. She had no idea Yuduchen didn't work on AIs.
The alarms blared.
Immortal Blades Valkyries and Schicksal mechs swarmed.
Kiana easily controlled her to defeat them.
The Herrscher muttered:
"See? I'm merciful… This time, I spared everyone. Didn't kill a single one."
But just as she spoke, Otto suddenly appeared—despite her having killed him earlier.
"Shame you didn't have this mercy sooner, old friend~"
"Otto…" For a moment, she was surprised. Then quickly regained composure.
"Yo~" Otto greeted her playfully.
"As if you'd die so easily," she replied flatly.
"Oh, I did die. But fortunately, I stored backup bodies elsewhere." He gestured toward the ruins. "Under there—hundreds of spares."
"Fine. Then I'll just kill you again. If half of Schicksal can't wipe you out, I'll destroy all of Schicksal this time."
Otto quickly backed away. "Wait, wait…"
She grinned. "What, scared?"
"When you shot me in the head, did you think this day would come?"
Her smile was radiant—she was genuinely thrilled at the chance to kill Otto again.
Otto, however, studied her, thoughtful. "Heh~ You're not a bad person."
The Herrscher blinked. "What kind of nonsense? Of course I'm not bad. Killing you is justice!"
The audience caught on instantly—Otto had seen through her.
Otherwise, he wouldn't say something so strange.
They couldn't help laughing. Everyone else knew she wasn't Fu Hua—except for her.
In-game, Otto calmly continued:
"If you're not bad, then we can talk about the reason."
"Reason? With someone like you?" she snapped.
Otto smiled faintly. "I admit—I killed you, and that was my sin. When you sought revenge, I didn't resist. One life for one life—we're even."
She laughed angrily. "Even? I only destroyed one of your bodies, and here you are alive again. How's that even?"
Otto smirked. "And yet—you're standing right here alive too, aren't you?"
"!!" She froze.
Otto: "I killed you, you killed me. I revived, and you were reborn. Who preserved your body so carefully that you could be reborn? Wasn't it me? Strictly speaking, I don't owe you—I saved you. You owe me a life, friend."
She: "…"
He… makes too much sense. I can't refute this… damn it…
Players burst into laughter.
[Herrscher of Sentience, just punch him! No need for logic!!]
[She's like: 'You're bullying me because I'm not well-read, huh?']
[This scene is hilarious lmao]
[Notice how Otto called her just 'friend,' not 'old friend'?]
[Yeah, I caught that too. He's definitely seen through her identity.]
To read 30+ future chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554